


The Grudge He Held

by eauxjai



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Boy Love, College AU, Female pronouns for Pidge, Fluff, Gay Keith (Voltron), Hurt/Comfort, Lancelot - Freeform, Langst, Lotor (Voltron) Being an Asshole, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, SHIRO KNOWS ALL, University AU, but it's also not a good time, but it's not a good time, keith is the realest bad bitch, klance, klance is fukin endgame, lotor is trash and he can suck my dick, lots of comfort, mentions of abuse, much gay, pidge Knows all, the voltron fam help lance, the way it should be, very homo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-06-16 08:51:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15433404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eauxjai/pseuds/eauxjai
Summary: After ending his relationship with his abusive ex, Lance seeks the comfort of his friends.Keith, upon finding out what Lotor has done to Lance, holds a dangerous grudge and vows to ruin Lotor entirely.*currently on hiatus!*





	1. Confessions

**Author's Note:**

> mmm i'm back with a multichapter fic this time!! not sure how long this is gonna be yet but we'll see how it goes! i'm still getting kudos from you guys on my fics & lemme tell you it makes my heart go doki doki; you guys make me want to keep writing!! also my ass finished & edited this at like 1am so if you see any errors i'd love if you could point them out to me! this fic is rated T for now but that may be subject to change as well as tags!  
> thank you and enjoy! 
> 
> tw; mentions of abuse and minor descriptions of said abuse

"So, wait. It was mutual?"  
"Yep."  
"Both of you decided to break up?"  
"That  _is_ what it means, yes."  
Keith and Lance were round at their friend Shiro's dorm room one weekend. Keith was already there, allegedly not stealing Shiro's Netflix account to catch up on a bunch of shows. As much as Keith tried to defend himself, Shiro really couldn't care less. Lance came knocking shortly after Keith's arrival and both Keith and Shiro assumed it was trouble in paradise. Lance usually goes round to Shiro's whenever he needs relationship advice but neither of them were prepared for the bomb Lance dropped.

"What happened? I thought things were going well with you guys. You only recently planned a trip away, didn't you?" Shiro asked while joining the two younger boys on the deep purple linen sofa. He stretched over Lance to grab the remote from Keith and turned _Stranger Things_ over to a documentary about Earth's ocean life, hoping to cheer Lance up a little.   
"Yeah, I planned for us to go to away for the weekend. Not anymore." Lance said, barely paying attention to the dolphins swimming around on the screen.  
"And that caused you guys to split? What, you're not good enough for him?" Keith scoffed. Shiro shot a warning glare at him, causing Keith to hold his hands up defensively. 

"No, nothing like that. Um," Lance's voice broke slightly and he nervously rubbed his arm. "He, uh... just got a little bit too much. So I left." Keith's eyes glanced down at the motion of Lance's hand against his forearm.  
"... I thought you said it was a mutal breakup?" Shiro said, carefully. Lance's eyes widened before trying to compose himself.  
"Yeah, i-it was! We spoke about where our relationship was going for a long time and neither of us saw it going much further, so we just... ended it." Tears begun to fill Lance's eyes. He blinked hard to get rid of them but a couple escaped and rolled down his cheeks. Shiro let out a soft noise of sympathy and scooted closer to wrap his arms around him. Keith continued to analyse Lance before letting out a small breath he didn't realise he'd been holding.   
"He hurt you, didn't he." Keith said. It was more like a statement rather than asking a question because he just  _knew_.

Shock passed across Shiro's face as he frowned at Keith.  
" _Keith!_ You can't just say things like that! You don't know his situation to be throwing out accusations!" Shiro's grip on Lance tightened and Lance winced and immediately tried to wiggle out of Shiro's arms. Lance hesitantly made eye contact with Keith who hadn't taken his eyes off of him. He looked defeated and exhausted with more tears threatening to spill over. Keith heaved a big sigh and stood up, placing a hand on Lance's shoulder. "I'll get you something for the bruise." Keith received a small smile from Lance as a thank you before he went to get some ice.   
"Bruise?" Shiro asked. He looked down at Lance's arm that had a deep purple hue peeking out from the hem of his sleeve. Realisation dawned on him and he released Lance from the confines of his arms. "I'm so sorry! How... how did this happen?" Lance sighed, avoiding eye contact.  
"Keith's right. It was him. It was Lotor." 

 

Keith returned with a handful of ice cubes wrapped in a towel. Lance instantly tensed and moved his arms to cradle himself.   
"Take your shirt off." Keith said. Lance didn't bother to protest. Instead, he sighed and carefully pulled the blue and grey shirt he's always wearing over his head revealing a number of bruises and scratches scattered across his back and chest. Shiro gasped silently and put his hand on Lance's knee. "Lance... I don't even know what to say."  
"I do." Keith said, gently applying the ice pack to Lance's bruises, causing him to sigh in relief. "I'm gonna break his fucking kneecaps." Lance shot up and turned abruptly to face Keith.  
"No! Please don't. I don't want anything happening because of this. And before you say anything, no he doesn't have any control over me." Lance groaned and dropped his face into his hands. "I don't hate him. I just hate what he did to me and what he's capable of. Does that make sense? I just... want to move on. Is that so bad?" Keith looked to Shiro who looked just nearly as broken as Lance did.   
"Shiro, could you please go get another ice pack?" Keith said gently. It took a few moments for Shiro to realise what was said before he nodded and disappeared into the kitchen.

Keith cautiously placed his hand on Lance's back. Lance twitched, making Keith pull his hand back quickly. "Sorry..."  
Lance shook his head and signalled for Keith to put his hand back. "Your fingers were cold from holding the ice. It felt good." Keith blinked and rested his hand in between Lance's shoulder blades, feeling him relax.  
"Hey. It's not your fault. You know that, right?" Keith whispered. Lance nodded.  
"I just feel stupid," Lance let out a pitiful laugh. "I should've been out that door as soon as he grabbed me the first time. I should've seen the signs."  
Keith dropped the ice pack he was holding and guided Lance's face so he was looking straight at him. "You had no idea. How were you supposed to know? And even once you noticed, I'm sure it was difficult to just leave like that. You must've felt trapped..."  
Keith saw Lance's eyes light up for the first time in a while. "Yes! That's exactly what it felt like! God, I just... I don't even know how I mustered up the courage to end it."  
"The point is,  _you did_ ," Keith continued. "It's over because you ended it. And that takes a lot of bravery. You're incredible, Lance. I hope you know that." 

Lance looked into Keith's eyes and smiled a smile so bright, Keith thought he was going to need sunglasses. It made his heart do a thing.   
"Thank you, Keith." Lance said. "You don't know how much I appreciate all this. How much I appreciate you."  
Keith glanced down to Lance's lips that were only centimetres away from his own. "You could show me." Keith said, completely and totally without thinking oh my God why did he say that. The unfortunate truth is that Keith had been pining for Lance forever. Way before he even went out with Lotor. Lance had a girlfriend a couple of years ago, but that ended after finding out she was a liar and a cheater. During that time though, Keith had always thought Lance was straight. He never let on that he was also into guys and he had never had any male love interests (that Keith knew about). It didn't stop him crushing on him, however. So his surprise when he discovered Lance was dating Lotor, one of the popular guys from the Planetary Science course, was very much warranted. Lance's best friend, Hunk, was actually the one to tell Keith that Lance was bi. Ever since then, Keith has been dreaming about being lucky enough to be in a relationship with Lance. 

Every time he saw Lance with Lotor though, he just knew there was something about that guy that rubbed him up the wrong way. He tried to convince himself that it was nothing and wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, but he just _couldn't._ Keith always noted that Lotor had an air of overconfidence and superiority around him. It came off as extremely cocky and made him really unapproachable. Especially when he looked at others like they were gum on the bottom of his shoe. At least that's what Keith thought. Part of him thought that the only reason Lotor asked Lance out in the first place was because he could see he was vulnerable. Just come out of a relationship. Easily manipulated. The mere thought made Keith angry. He thought if a relationship were to ever happen between himself and Lance, he'd want it to happen naturally. He'd want Lance to actually like him the way Keith does; not just because he's lonely and wants company.  
Which is why Keith instantly regretted the words that came out of his mouth.

 

Luckily, Lance let out a chuckle that brought Keith's soul back to life. "How about I take you out for a coffee first? That okay?" Lance tucked some of the hair that framed Keith's reddening face behind his ear. Keith nodded and dropped his now warm hand from Lance's back. An exaggerated cough brought Keith and Lance back to reality and they instantly moved away from each other.  
"Shiro? How, uh, how long were you standing there?" Keith stammered.   
"Long enough," Shiro tossed the ice pack he got to Lance, who caught it effortlessly and held it to his chest.  
"Thanks, you guys. For everything." Lance stood up and hesitantly stretched. "I better head to the infirmary, though. I'll just say I went paintballing or something." He chuckled.   
Shiro eyed him up and down. "You alright?" Lance ran a hand through his hair and glanced back at Keith.  
"Yeah. Yeah, I'll be just fine." Lance grabbed his shirt and pulled it back on. He threw the ice pack in the air and caught it again. "I'll be keeping this for now, if you don't mind," He bent down to pick up his bag before heading for the door.  
"I'll text you guys with updates later, okay? See ya!"

The door clicked shut leaving Keith and Shiro stood in the middle of the living room, almost speechless.  
"So, what did I miss while I was gone, exactly?" Shiro said, collapsing on to the sofa. "I left you guys for a while because I thought you'd want some... privacy."

"Privacy for what, Shiro?" Keith pressed.

Shiro shrugged and smirked at him. "I don't know, you tell _me_. Or not. I know you aren't one to kiss and tell."  
"Shut up," Keith shoved Shiro and slumped next to him on the sofa. "We didn't kiss."

"Yet."

"I'm not kissing him unless he genuinely wants me to. Don't think I'm gonna take advantage of him like that. I'm not Lotor." Keith spat his name as if it was nothing more than poison.

Shiro shifted in his seat. "About that. What are we gonna do? Do we say anything? Do anything?"  
Keith shook his head and sighed. "It's not our business. It's up to Lance to say what happens next. All we can do is support him." Shiro poked Keith in his side, making him smack his hand away.  
"Look at you, being all decisive. What's brought this on?"

"Honestly? Lance. I just... want the best for him. He's fragile. I want to protect him, you know? And I'm going to make sure I do." Keith said, threading his fingers through the hair that Lance tucked away minutes ago. Shiro patted Keith's knee.  
"We all will. I'm proud of you, Keith." 

"Yeah, thanks,  _Dad_." Keith rolled his eyes and threw a pillow at Shiro. 

Keith knew that Lance just wanted to move on and forget everything but there was something almost burning deep inside of Keith that made him want to make Lotor regret ever doing that to Lance. He usually wasn't one for revenge, and he knew Lance didn't want him doing anything. But he desperately wanted Lotor to get a taste of his own medicine.

He just needed to work out how.


	2. The Morning (Week) After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a week since Keith and Lance last saw each other.

Bzzt, bzzt. **_Bzzzt_**.

Keith groaned and reached for his vibrating phone on his bedside table, silently cursing his past self for not switching it to mute before going to bed. Wincing at the sudden brightness, he unlocked his phone and checked who could be texting him this early on a  _Sunday_.

**(8:49) 6 new messages from Lance**

Oh.

He suddenly felt more awake as he opened the messages.

**(8:46) hey! Sorry to text you so early**

****

**(8:47) Just wanted to ask if you were down for having that coffee?**

****

**(8:47) No problem if you can't! Uhhh it's just that I'm literally walking down to the campus cafe rn. The one just by the science block? andddd wondered if you'd like to join me**

****

**(8:47) I do this most Sunday mornings! it's suuuper quiet. There's literally like, no one out atm. it's... peaceful**

****

**(8:48) anyway! if you slept through this, then np, we'll catch up another time! But by chance you're awake and want a free coffee? Maaaybe a muffin? ahaha**

****

**(8:49) You know where to find me x**

_**** _

Keith had never got out of his bed so quickly. 

He hurriedly got himself ready and made himself at least semi-presentable in just under ten minutes. His hair wasn't cooperating though, so he just scraped it up into a messy bun with a hairband that he keeps around his wrist for moments such as these. He grabbed his phone and keys, shoving it into the pockets of his black hoodie, heading straight out the door.

It was pretty misty outside, the cool air waking up his eyes with every step he took. He wondered if he was doing the right thing, seeing Lance. He could easily turn around right now and go back to sleep. He didn't text Lance back, so technically he hasn't made any commitments. Keith shook his head, ridding himself of those thoughts. Lance invited him personally. He goes to have coffee alone every Sunday, only this time he's invited Keith. He even said himself that it's peaceful when no one's around. So...  _why_ invite him?

_Dear God please don't let this be a date._ Keith thought. But what if it was? Keith hoped and prayed that he wasn't coming on too strong. It's been a whole week since they last saw or even sent a message to each other that wasn't in a group chat. Keith wondered if he seemed too eager. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, checking the time. 

9:07. Keith pondered slowing down his walking speed, but before he even knew it, he was coming up to the cafe. He didn't even realise how much time had passed, considering he spent all of it worrying about whether or not to have coffee with a boy he likes who's been through a horrible break up after being in an even worse relationship. Keith thought he was moving too quickly and that he should go back home. Back into his bed, forgetting he ever saw those texts.

"Oh, hey! You made it!"

Lance's voice called out through the empty cafe from one of the booths. Keith had inadvertently opened the cafe doors and walked through them before he could convince himself not to. Lance beckoned him over, the smile on his face so sunny, it made Keith wonder if he was  _actually_ that happy to see him so early in the morning. _On a Sunday_.

Keith made his way over and sat opposite him in the booth. Lance leaned an arm on the black marbled table, resting his chin in his palm.

"Good morning, sunshine," Lance chuckled. "Your hair's cute."

Keith's stomach twisted into knots, struggling to form any sentence at all, let alone a coherent one.

"Uh, hi." Was all Keith could muster.

Lance blinked, eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Hey, I didn't wake you, did I?"

Keith shook his head immediately. "No, no, you're fine. I'm just kind of drowsy so early in the morning."

"Well, it's a good thing you're here, anyway. I was hoping you'd come." Lance avoided eye contact, smiling to himself. Keith felt his heart rate speed up and turned his reddening face away from Lance.

"So, what coffee do you want?" Lance asked, getting up. At the sight of Keith's confused face, head tilted slightly, Lance couldn't help but laugh. "Coffee? I'm buying, remember? I came up with the idea after you just wanted to make out." Lance added that last part with a smirk, knowing it would just embarrass Keith further. It did embarrass him, in fact, and he promptly hid his face in his hands.

"I'll just have whatever you're having," Keith mumbled. Lance smiled genuinely and made his way over to the counter.

Keith wanted to bang his head on the table. Multiple times. He had so many thoughts spinning around in his mind and the pleasant music coming from the cafe's speakers weren't helping him think straight. He liked Lance. A lot. And he knows he's hurting and is most probably looking for a certain kind of distraction. Keith doesn't want to be just a distraction. Or a rebound. Or just something temporary until Lance feels better again. All he wants is for Lance to be genuinely happy and if Keith can do that, even as just a friend, that's all that matters. He wanted to start with addressing the Lotor situation. Keith internally shook himself back to reality just as Lance came over with two steaming mugs. 

"Hope you like vanilla lattes," Lance said, setting them down. Keith thanked him and looked over at all the sugar packets Lance slid towards him. Keith looked at Lance questioningly and Lance just chuckled. "Trust me. You'll need those. This place may not have the  _best_ coffee on campus, but it's the quietest place. Barely anyone comes here. Plus, the company is great." He winked in the direction of the counter, causing Keith to turn and see who he was referring to.

"Hunk?!" Keith said, bewildered. Hunk was cleaning the coffee machine and looked over at the mention of his name.

"Oh hey! Didn't even see you hidden behind that booth. I wondered why Lance was getting  _two_ coffees. We would've seen you come in, but we were in the staff room." Hunk gestured to the door behind him with his thumb.

"What do you mean 'we'?" Keith asked. Just then, Allura and Coran made their way out of the staff room, Coran looking incredibly exasperated.

"I told you, Allura. You can't eat coffee beans." Coran said, tightening the strings on his apron. Allura sighed, heavily.

"But why _not?_ You can eat every other bean! Why are coffee beans any different?" Her long, white hair was tied up in two neat space buns and she tucked the loose hair behind her ears, catching Keith's eye. "Keith! What are you doing here?" She said, excitably. Coran turned in surprise towards the booth.

"Good morning, Keith! What's got you here so early?"

Keith just blinked, mouth open slightly. He wouldn't have come to the cafe if he knew Hunk, Allura and Coran would be there.There would be no way he could say anything without anyone else hearing it too. Hunk, he didn't mind too much and Coran knows how to keep secrets most of the time. Allura was... a lot.

She looked between Lance and Keith, her blue eyes sparkling. She firmly planted both hands on the counter in front of her and launched herself up on the bar. 

"Allura, watch out!" Coran cried, picking up the utensils and paper cups she knocked on the floor. Allura continued, ignoring the carnage she created.

"Lance, did you actually ask Keith out? Is that why he's here?!" Lance simply raised his eyebrows in amusement while Keith sunk lower and lower in his seat. 

"Really? What makes you think that?" Hunk asked. Allura simply scoffed, brushing her loose hair back. 

"Seriously? Lance is the only person ever who comes to this particular cafe this early! On  _Sundays!_ He's been talking about Keith non-stop all week and all of a sudden he shows up now?  _Coincidence_?"

Lance's amused smile faltered quickly and Keith's ears perked up. "Okay, well, it was nice to see you, we're leaving now!" Lance grabbed the two mugs in one hand, spilling coffee slightly, dragging Keith behind him with his other arm. 

"Wait, you can't take mugs outside!" Allura yelled after them, hurling a couple of paper cups in their direction.

"You'd be lucky if I even bring them back!" Lance said, slamming the door behind him.

A whole half an hour passed before any words were said. Lance led Keith through the woods on campus until they reached a clearing that had a small lake occupied by several ducks. They sat on the grass, sipping their coffee, Lance grabbing a bag of cut grapes from his bag to feed the ducks with. Keith glanced over questioningly, catching Lance's eye.

"I come here sometimes." Lance explained. "I noticed they liked it when I gave them grapes, so I make sure to feed them whenever I can." One of the ducks waddled over and sat near Lance as he continued to feed it. He smiled as he softly pet its head.

"I didn't even know we had ducks on campus." Keith said.

"Yeah, quite a few. If you explore these woods more, you'll see rabbits too. They're really cute." 

Keith smiled at Lance's gentle expression. "Do you always come here alone?"

Lance was silent for a few moments as he bit his lip. 

"Uh, no. I... actually used to come here with Lotor." 

"Oh."

_Fuck._

 

Keith suddenly felt incredibly guilty. He tried to say something but he didn't know what to say to ease the tension.

"Um, so, speaking of, how are your bruises doing?" Keith said. Lance just stared at him, eyebrow raised. 

_Fuck fuck fuck._

His mind wasn't able to catch up to his mouth in time, so he ended up stuttering on words, trying to find some form of an apology.

"They're... better." Lance said, slowly. "They'll go away soon. Thanks for helping with that, by the way."

"Oh, no problem. You looked terrible." Keith laughed. He noticed that Lance wasn't laughing with him and stopped immediately. "Not to say you look terrible! I meant the bruises. You, you're the opposite. Of terrible. You're really pretty-- great! You're pretty great. You. Lance. Are a pretty great person. And you don't look terrible."

Keith wanted death. 

He wasn't thinking and just told Lance he thought he was pretty. He put his hood on and hid his face in his hands, accepting his fate. To his surprise, he heard snickering coming from next to him. Peeking through his fingers, he saw Lance laughing. A genuine laugh, his smile blinding. 

"You really don't have a filter, do you, Keith?"

"You're... not mad?" Keith asked cautiously, pulling his hood down.

Lance looked taken aback. "Mad? Why would I be mad? You've been so supportive throughout this whole thing. You and Shiro have been helping me move on. I didn't want to tell the other guys yet. I guess I just needed this week to myself? Anyway. I just wanted to say thank you. For everything." He reached out and put his hand on top of Keith's, stroking it gently with his thumb. 

"You're welcome. Anything you need, I'll be here." Keith smiled, blood rushing to his cheeks. The sun filtered through the trees, showering Lance in a glow that was almost ethereal. Although it was sunny, there was a slight chill in the autumn air, which made Lance shiver. 

"You cold?" Keith asked. Lance shook his head. Against his better judgement, Keith stripped off his hoodie and passed it to Lance.

"Are you sure?" Lance asked.

"Yeah, take it." Keith strained. As soon as he took that hoodie off, he felt the cold latch on to his arms. Lance took the hoodie gratefully and pulled it over his head, cradling himself in the warmth.

"Thank you."

Keith wouldn't lie, he thought Lance in his hoodie was the cutest thing he'd ever seen. He didn't understand why anyone would want to hurt him, especially to that extent. It made his grudge against Lotor grow even more, to the point he could practically feel his blood boil. It took Lance placing his hand on Keith's arm to bring him back. 

"Deep in thought?" Lance asked. Keith briefly studied his face, his deep blue eyes, gazing right at him, the faded freckles dotted across his face. He glanced down to his neck, a shadow of abuse still remaining there. Keith reached up and caressed the offending bruise gently, emitting no reaction from Lance. 

"He won't get away with this, you know." Keith said. Lance was about to protest, but Keith stopped him. "I'm serious. Look, I know what you said before, Lance. But having him walking around as if he's done nothing wrong? It makes me sick and I'm not standing for it."

Lance sighed. "And what do you expect to do? Beat him up?"

Keith shook his head. "No, I've got something else planned. Send a message out to the guys to come round to mine later. We can  _both_ explain then."

Lance twisted the cords of the hoodie around his fingers before sighing. "Fine. I hope you know what you're doing, Keith." 

Keith dropped his hand from Lance's neck. "Don't worry. Thanks for the coffee, by the way. Don't you think we should be returning these now?" He pointed to the two empty mugs sat on the grass, a duck knocking one of them over.

Lance swatted his hand. "Nah. I'm sure they can cope without them."

Keith's expression turned mischievous. "That reminds me. Allura mentioned you spoke about me to her? All week? What have you been saying?"

"Oh wow, is that the time? You were right, maybe the guys do need these mugs back." 

Lance quickly got up, grabbed the mugs and rushed back in the direction of the cafe. Keith chuckled at the thought of Lance on the phone to Allura about him. He made a mental note to ask her about that another time. As Keith started to get up himself, he noticed a phone on the grass. In Lance's haste, it had fallen out of his back pocket. Keith picked it up and pressed the home button, bringing the screen to life. Staring back at him was a photo of Lance and Lotor. Keith had wondered how Lotor's bright hazel eyes and gentle smile could look so dark and menacing; but it just  _did_. Lance, on the other hand, had a look of complete admiration, grinning at Lotor. Keith gripped the phone tightly before shoving it in his back pocket. Grabbing his own phone, he sent a text out to his friends.

 

**(10:04) Everyone come to mine at lunchtime. _It's urgent_.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> keith never did get that muffin


	3. The Best Laid Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith attempts to get the group together to help him carry out his plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you guys for all of the support so far! all of you reading, commenting, bookmarking and leaving kudos, you're all so sweet omg  
> you're the ones who keep me motivated!! ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ “ <3 also once again, i wrote this at like 4am so apologies for any errors & nonsensical shit lol
> 
> enjoy this new chapter!
> 
> tw; mentions of abuse & self harm

"I'm glad you could all make it."

 

Keith had gathered everyone in his dorm hours later. Allura, Coran and Hunk had long since finished their shifts and they sat next to each other on the couch along with Pidge, Shiro and Lance. Keith stood in front of them as if he was about to give a formal speech but before he said anything else, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out Lance's phone. At the sight of it, Lance's eyes widened and he immediately went to his pockets.

"It fell out," Keith explained, passing it back to him. "You know, after you took off this morning."

"This morning?" Pidge snorted. "What were you guys doing?"

Allura sat up, excitedly. "I  _knew_ you were on a date! Jesus, the way you're going, it's as if you've broken up with Lotor already! Look, you're even wearing Keith's hoodie!" Lance looked completely confused until he looked down and realised he hadn't taken the hoodie off yet.

"God, no! First of all, Keith only lent me this hoodie because I was cold. And it wasn't a date,  _Allura_. We're just friends." Lance said. "Sure, we flirt and stuff, but it's all in good fun. It doesn't actually mean anything. Right?"

Keith felt a pang of discomfort in his chest. He knew there was a chance that Lance didn't like him the way he liked Lance, but to find out the soft glances, the subtle innuendoes, caring words and hand holding they shared was... just for fun? It made Keith feel a little let down.

 

"Yeah, of course." Keith said, trying to hide the disappointment in his voice.

"I don't believe that for a second." Allura said.

Keith rolled his eyes. " _Anyway_ , I brought you all here because Lance has something he needs to tell you."

All eyes went to Lance and he started to fold under the pressure. He glanced over at Shiro who gave him a reassuring nod. Lance took a deep breath and spoke. "Turns out Allura was right, just now." Lance said, a dark chuckle escaping from his throat. "I broke up with Lotor." Just as everyone was about to say their apologies, Lance held his hand up, stopping them. "It was an abusive relationship. He... hurt me." 

Everyone's faces dropped and Allura audibly gasped as Lance showed them some of the now faded bruises, explaining how they were a lot worse before. They all rallied around Lance, hugging him as he broke down again. Shiro and Keith shared a worried look to each other.

"I'm so sorry. I wanted to tell you all, I really  _did_. I went to Shiro first and Keith just happened to be there too. I needed to ready myself emotionally before I told the rest of you guys." 

Pidge rested her smaller hand on Lance's arm. "Don't be sorry for something that's not your fault. I'm just glad you've told us now."

Hunk pulled Lance into a hug. "Dude, I swear I'll beat Lotor into next week." 

Keith cleared his throat. "Actually, that's partly the reason why you guys are here too." Everyone looked at Keith expectantly. "He's not going to do that to Lance and get away with it. I want him to feel the exact same way he made Lance feel."

No one said a word. Glances were shared across the room and Keith could practically feel their hesitation. "What? What's the problem?"

Coran was the first to speak. "Keith... are you actually going to  _fight_ Lotor?"

"No!" Keith pushed his hair back, frustrated. "Why does everyone  _always_ think I'm just going to beat someone up? And even if I was, is that a bad thing? Hunk literally just threatened the same thing!"

"Yeah, but he's never actually gotten into any fights." Pidge piped up.

"Oh, sure, like I have?" Keith defended. Shiro glared at Keith.

"Do I need to remind you of the reason why the Dean of this university is blind in one eye?"

"Yeah, well, Iverson deserved it." Keith huffed. "Listen, I'm not gonna fight him. I'm just gonna get into his head, okay? Mess with him a little."

Pidge stretched out on the couch, draping her legs over Shiro's lap. "Oh, yeah? And that's gonna teach him, right?" 

Keith stuck his tongue out at Pidge. "It'll work, you little gremlin." 

"What if it doesn't?" Lance said, quietly. Everyone looked between him and Keith. "What if you can't get in his head? What if you can't even get near him? He's really intimidating, Keith. And manipulative." 

Keith went over to sit next to Lance, Hunk shuffling over to make more space. "His intimidating and manipulative behaviour is exactly the reason why this will work." Everyone looked confused. Keith shook his head. "Don't worry. It'll make sense. Lance, does Lotor know who any of us are?"

Lance thought for a moment. "I may have mentioned you guys a few times, but now that I think about it, I don't think he was really paying any attention." Allura winced at that.

"Perfect." Keith said. "He's holding a lecture at 8:00 this evening and it'd be great if we could go to it. Not you, Lance. If he sees us with you, it'll be too obvious."

Lance's eyes narrowed slightly. "How'd you know he's doing a lecture tonight?"

Keith stuttered and rubbed his neck, nervously. "I, uh. May have seen it on your phone."

Lance's mouth gaped open. "You  _what?_ You... you looked in my phone?"

"Don't you have a lock or a password on that thing?" Hunk asked.

"Well, I fucking will now!" Lance said, tapping away on his phone. He glanced up at Keith. "Did you see anything else?"

"No, I swear." He answered truthfully. Keith didn't want to do it. As soon as he saw Lance had no password on his phone, the first thing he thought to do was to check on anything that had to do with Lotor. He saw a weekly reminder in the phone's calendar that Lotor presents lectures to other students in the same Science course. He wouldn't lie to himself and say he wasn't at least tempted to look at their message history. But he held back. It didn't make him feel any less guilty for snooping though.

"So, what are you planning to do at this lecture, then?" Coran asked. 

"All will be revealed later. You guys in to follow my lead?"

Pidge yawned. "Pass. I'm not into this whole revenge story. I'm always down for hearing about updates, though." 

Keith looked to everyone else, awaiting their answer. They all looked slightly uncomfortable. 

Allura raised her hand. "I'll come with you." She stood up, pushed up her sleeve and checked the time on her watch. "It's starting soon."

Keith nodded. He looked at all the faces in the room avoiding eye contact with him.

Shiro was the one to speak up. "Keith? Just... make sure you don't push this too far, okay?"

"What do you mean?" Keith asked.

Shiro hesitated, trying to find the right words.

"Just make sure this whole thing is actually for Lance. He's been hurt. Emotionally and physically." Pidge interjected.

"And what are you trying to say?" Keith said, glaring at her.

"Just don't let your own personal feelings get in the way and fuck things up more than they already are." She said, bluntly. She stared right back at him, holding his gaze. Pidge was usually one of the only people in their group of friends to call out, or at least warn people of their behaviour. Or, in this case, Keith's recklessness. She was the youngest out of all of them, but had a lot of respect from everyone. All Keith could see, though, was that she didn't agree with him.

"Yeah, thanks, Pidge. I know what I'm doing." Keith stood up and grabbed his bag. He looked over to Lance who was fidgeting with the cords of Keith's hoodie. "Hey."

Lance looked up, his eyes still glazed from crying. "You take care, okay?"

Lance nodded and Keith left, calling Allura after him. Allura picked up her own bag and sighed, flicking her long hair behind her shoulders.

"Well, I guess I'll see you all later." Allura said, a conflicting smile on her face.

"Wait." Lance said, grabbing hold of her wrist. Allura looked back at Lance, his face flushed red. "Please... just keep an eye on him, okay?" 

Allura blinked before a much more genuine, comforting smile passed across her face. She took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly before leaving.

The room was left in silence. Shiro heaved a huge sigh and ran his hands down his face. Pidge simply rolled her eyes and groaned. "Keith had better know what he's getting himself into."

 

 

Keith and Allura made it into the large lecture hall with just over ten minutes to spare. There were a handful of students scattered around the room, chatting amongst themselves, sitting in seats facing the interactive whiteboard mounted on the wall. Lotor had not arrived yet, although there was a woman stood next to the podium at the far left of the room. She had a laptop on the desk that was wired up to the large screen, tapping away at the keys. As she leant closer towards her laptop screen, her long, purple fringe slowly fell in front of her face, causing her to quickly tuck it behind her ear again. Deep blue eyes blinked a few times, before she leant back up again. She tugged at the hem of her blazer, picked up her briefcase and walked out of the door just behind her, the clacking of her heels drowned out by the volume of the students. 

Allura and Keith were sat next to each other right at the back of the hall, away from the rest of the students who were nearer the front. Keith rested his arms on his notebook that he had taken out beforehand and placed on his desk. He glanced up at the clock on the far wall, tapping his pen rapidly.

"He'll be here soon," Allura said, noticing Keith's impatience. "Um, are you  _sure_ you know what you're doing?"

Keith shot a glare at her and Allura quickly tried to defend herself. "I-I mean! I've just heard so many rumours about the type of person Lotor is. I just don't want you throwing yourself off at the deep end, you know?" She laughed, nervously, twisting her hair around her finger.

"If you're so worried, why did you come? The others obviously don't want me doing this either.  _Some_ kind of support would've been nice considering the situation." Keith leant his head on his arms, his words slightly muffled.

"So... you  _are_ doing this for Lance?" Allura asked.

"Of course I am."

"Because it just sort of seems like--"

Keith sat up abruptly and looked Allura in the eyes. "Listen. Lance is in a pretty bad place right now, no matter how hard he's trying to hide it. Just because I'm the only one out of all of us who wants to try and give Lotor what he deserves, it makes  _me_ the bad guy? I'm not letting this go. Lotor is the one at fault here and I'm making sure everyone knows it. Exposing him is the only way Lance can move on."

Allura bit her lip, thinking. After a few moments she nodded. "Talk me through it."

Keith grabbed his pen and scribbled down several names on his notebook, Allura looking on, intently.

"Okay. These are all the people that Lotor's been in a relationship with in this university, both rumoured and confirmed."

"How in the world do you know that?" Allura asked.

"People talk, Allura. Plus, I'm on the same course as him. He's doing a Masters, so I don't see him in my classes. I've definitely seen him around with these specific people though." Keith replied, tapping at the names with his pen. "People have said that Lotor kept dumping his exes because he couldn't  _connect_ with them or some shit. Now, of course, that made Lotor seem like a total enigma; that it'd be a miracle for anyone to have a relationship with him that lasted longer than a month."

Allura nodded along, trying to follow.

"But," Keith continued. "You know most, if not all of these people, Allura. Do you know what they all have in common?" 

Allura read through the names. "Well... they're all really lovely people. I knew her from my first day working at the cafe." She said, pointing to one of the names.

"She was so bubbly and smiley, always the first one into work. She was such an amazing person to be around. Then... she didn't come in to work some days. When she did, she never brought up the reason why. I never asked. She looked... sad. Coran, Hunk and I always tried to cheer her up but it never really worked. One day, she just stopped coming in altogether. I attempted to call her numerous times, but it would never get through. I eventually found out she dropped out of university. I haven't heard from her since."

Keith silently waited for Allura to continue. She hesitantly pointed to another name.

"He, um. He used to come to life drawing classes but then stopped after a while. He was pretty talkative for the first couple of weeks but then became quiet and reserved. I... don't think he had many friends. He didn't talk much, but he was nice." Allura idly scratched at her wrist. "Now that I think about it, the last time I saw him, I could swear I saw some scars on his forearm that definitely weren't there before. I didn't want to pry, but now... I'm starting to think I should've."

Keith put his hand on Allura's. "You had no idea."

Allura desperately fought back tears. "I had heard he was in a relationship, but I never even thought it could've been Lotor. All these people, they... they were all so sweet. So open, so..."

"Vulnerable." Keith finished. Allura's worried eyes met Keith's before glancing at the last name Keith wrote in his notebook. 

**_Lance._ **

"Here's my theory. He targets them." Keith explained. "Manipulates them just because it's easy to. And they can't leave because he guilts them into staying, he has to. Lance had  _just_ had a breakup before Lotor noticed and took advantage. It didn't help that Lance was practically  _dying_ for someone to be with. It just makes sense. All these people have either dropped out of university or moved to a different campus apart from Lance. I'm just glad he felt comfortable enough to confide in us so we could support him."

"But why?  _Why_ would he do that?" Allura said, running her hands through her hair.

Keith scoffed. "Why does anyone do anything? He's toxic. He has this weird, warped idea of a God complex, I suppose. Everyone loves him because they're blind to who he really is. As soon as I saw the guy, I just... knew. I  _knew_ that he was..."

"Trash?" Allura offered.

"Yeah, pretty much. Thanks." Keith sighed and looked at the clock again. 8:00.

"Do you see why I'm doing this now, Allura?"

"Mm-hmm, you're doing it because you like Lance." Allura said, innocently.

"Shut  _up_ , no I don't. He's my friend. I'd be the exact same if Lotor did this to any of you guys, too."

"Uh huh. Sure." Allura sat back in her seat and breathed out. "It does make sense, I won't deny that. So what do  _you_ plan to do about it, then?"

At that moment, the door opened, causing the entire room to quieten down, shushing each other. A tall man walked in, carrying a few folders in his hands and a laptop bag over his broad shoulders. Long white hair was tied up into a neat bun and black glasses were placed perfectly on the bridge of his nose. The door shut with a click behind him as he gracefully strolled forward with an air of confidence, setting his folders down on the podium's desk. 

"He wants someone vulnerable to manipulate? He can have  _me_." Keith whispered. His eyes narrowed dangerously as Lotor introduced himself to the class. "But his sick little game fucking ends here."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> keith you fuckin dumbass
> 
> sorry this is so dialogue heavy I JUST LOVE DIALOGUE MORE THAN DESCRIPTIVE WRITING OK  
> i promise keith's lil plan will start in the next chapter! thank you for being patient! x


	4. A Small Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith finally meets Lotor, but things don't turn out the way he'd planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> who's watching s7 of voltron? i hope you're enjoying it! i haven't even started so i'm staying aWAY from social media! i can't wait to see all my babies again <3
> 
> enjoy this new chapter! x
> 
> tw; threatening/manipulative & abusive behaviour/actions near the end

"Good evening, everyone. Thank you all for coming. As some of you may know, my name is Lotor. Tonight, we're going to be talking about the Apollo 11 moon landing. This lecture is going to be a bit more of an interactive one, but don't feel obliged to discuss if you don't want to."

Lotor dimmed the lights in the hall before picking up a small remote on the podium, pressing a button. The large screen switched on, bringing up an in depth presentation about the Apollo 11 mission. One student immediately spoke up, expressing his views on why he thought the landing was faked. A few people groaned and interjected, sparking off an early debate.

"Ugh, this nerd stuff is so _boring_ ," Allura mumbled. "How long is this going to go on for? We've only just started and I'm already losing interest." Allura took out her phone and tapped away on it. Keith knew Allura could leave any time she wanted. She wasn't at all interested in the moon landing debate, let alone anything to do with science. Her major was in fashion design and textiles. The fact that she stayed, even though she didn't have to come in the first place, made Keith smile a little.

 

"It's only an hour long. Besides, I'm not saying anything, I'm just observing. I'll talk to him after." Keith stared down at Lotor. He was engaging in a healthy debate with the other students, trying to see both sides of the argument. After a while, he glanced up towards the back of the room, catching Keith's eye.

"Anything to contribute?" He asked. Keith sat up in surprise, not expecting to be called on. A big part of him wanted to remind Lotor that he wasn't 'obliged to discuss' anything because he didn't want to. But then he remembered the act he was meant to be putting on. In order to get close to Lotor, he needed to pander to him. Keith glanced to Allura who was also looking at Keith, tentatively. 

Keith shyly tucked his hair behind his ear, and broke eye contact with Lotor. "Um, no, sir. I-I'm good." 

Lotor continued to look at him. "Alright. No problem." He smiled at Keith before turning his attention back to the students who couldn't stop bickering.

Keith smirked at Allura. "It begins."

"I never want to see you  _acting_ or  _talking_ like that ever again." Allura shuddered. Keith just chuckled.

"Too bad. I can't go around acting like myself right now. It seems to be the only way for him to let me in."

Just like that, an hour passed and Lotor dismissed the class. As they all filed out of the room, thanking him for the lecture, Keith started to grab his things. 

"Okay, Allura. When we go down there, I need you to tell him how nervous and excited I am to see him."

Allura did a double take. "Wait, what? Why would you be excited?"

"He's received honours from multiple higher-ups from different universities. He won an award for his paper on some kind of collaboration he did with a distinguished science professor. Basically, the guy knows his stuff. I figure if I blow enough smoke up his ass, this will be no problem."

Allura looked at Keith, tilting her head. "How do you know so much about him?"

"You know what they say, Allura. _'Know your enemy'_." Keith started to make his way down the stairs, towards the main floor. 

"You're honestly starting to scare me now." Allura sighed, following behind him. 

Lotor was saying goodbye to the last student before turning to face Allura, who had stood in front of him.

"Hello. Did you enjoy the lecture?" Lotor smiled.

Allura paused, thinking of what to say. "Uh, well. No. To be honest, I'm not really into all this science-y stuff. I just came for him." She jerked her thumb behind her, towards Keith, who was standing a little way away, clutching his notebook to his chest. 

"Ah, yes. The...quiet one." Lotor didn't take his eyes off of him.

"Between you and me," Allura whispered, causing Lotor to lean closer. "He's _really_ excited to meet you."

Lotor's eyebrow twitched. "Is that so?" 

Allura nodded. "He's also super nervous. But don't let on that I told you, okay?"

Lotor leant back up, pushing his glasses further up his nose. "Your secret's safe with me. I love your hair, by the way."

Allura gave him a condescending smile and flicked her hair behind her shoulder. "Yeah, me too." She held a hand up to Keith, giving him a wink. "See you.  _Take care._ "

Keith knew she was worried, despite her bitchy persona to Lotor. But she didn't have to be. Keith would be fine. He kept telling everybody he would be.

So why was his heart beating so rapidly with every step he took towards Lotor?

He stood in front of him, forced to glance up. Lotor had a good few inches on Keith, already making him feel tense. Keith took a few silent breaths, constantly reminding himself who this was for.

"Hi. Um, your lecture was really great. It's a shame a few of those students broke out in an argument." Keith said, looking anywhere else but at him. Lotor, on the other hand made sure to keep his gaze trained on Keith, a playful glint in his eye.

"Yes, well, I must say, I didn't expect you first years to be so passionate about the subject." He chuckled, lightly. The very sound made Keith's grip on his notebook tighten.

"I'm not in first year, I'm in my third. I'll be graduating near Christmas."

Lotor quirked an eyebrow. "You're only a year below me? What made you come to this lecture then? Surely you know all this stuff already." 

Keith looked down, shyly. "Actually, I just came here to see you. I look up to you a lot. The papers you've written, the accolades you've earned. You're a real inspiration and I just hope I can be as intelligent and respected as you one day." Keith was so sure he was going to have an aneurysm if he kept this up. He felt a hand on his shoulder, causing him to look up at Lotor. The taller man took off his glasses, that Keith assumed was just for show, and placed them on the desk beside him.

"I'm flattered. But I can assure you, I'm not all you think I am."

_Yeah, you can say that again, you fucker_ , Keith thought. He swallowed what little pride and dignity he had left and allowed his glance to drop down a little to his lips. Lotor noticed this immediately and let his hand fall from Keith's shoulder to his forearm. Keith internally cringed but kept his guard up.

"Oh, I highly doubt that. In fact...I-I was actually wondering if you'd..." Keith said, trailing off. Lotor silently waited for Keith to continue. Keith managed to slip his way out of Lotor's grasp, turning away.

"You know what? Never mind. I've kept you long enough. Ignore me."

As soon as Keith started walking towards the exit, he heard Lotor call after him.

"Hold on! You couldn't possibly keep me from anything. What do you need?"

Keith tried to suppress the smirk that passed across his face before turning back around with hopeful eyes.

"Well, uh. If it isn't too much trouble. I'd love it if you were able to...tutor me? I have a final assignment I'm doing and it's on the multiverse theory. I've read your papers on it and it's inspired me so much. I feel like I don't know enough, though. Or at least not as much as  _you_ do. I'd be forever in your debt if you could mentor me and I'd definitely pay you for your trouble."

Now, Keith was bullshitting harder than ever before. He had already finished his final paper on the multiverse theory. He knows practically everything there is to know. Keith wondered if he had kissed Lotor's ass enough for him to agree. If he did, that would mean being with Lotor day in and day out, getting to know him, getting inside his head and ultimately using that against him. Keith was buzzing at the possibilities.

"What's your name?" Lotor asked, bringing Keith back to reality.

"Oh, um. Keith." 

"Keith," Lotor played with his name on his tongue, stretching it out, sending a shiver down Keith's spine. "You wouldn't have to pay me at all. In fact, it'd be my absolute pleasure to tutor you for as long as you needed."

Keith blinked in surprise at how easy that was. "Wait, r-really? You'd do that for someone you just met?"

Lotor slowly made his way over to Keith, stopping right in front of him. "There's something about you, Keith. Something...special. I can't put my finger on it just yet. Maybe I'll figure it out, eventually." 

Keith noticed a change in Lotor's expression. Up until that point, it had just been perpetually stuck between patronising and snide. But just for a split second, Keith sensed a look of...remorse. He didn't know what to do with that information, so he tucked it away to the back of his mind. 

"Wow, uh. Well, thank you! This is amazing, I don't know how I could possibly repay you." Keith beamed his biggest smile at Lotor, who blinked, flushing slightly red.

The door opened then, the sound making Lotor back away from Keith. The woman with the purple hair from before walked in, preoccupied on her phone. She was typing a message, not paying any attention to who was in the room.

"Lotor, your meeting with the Dean is in ten minutes, shall I let him know you're on your way?" She looked up, stopping in her tracks when she saw Keith.

"Oh. I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?"

Lotor's overconfident smile was back. "Actually, yes. I'm not going to the meeting with the Dean; we'll just have to reschedule." The way he glanced at the woman made it look like  _she_ was the one who would have to sort out the rescheduling.

She pressed her purple lips together, as if to stop herself from saying anything untoward. "Of course. I'll update him. What would you have me say?" She asked.

Lotor draped an arm around Keith's shoulder, leading him towards the door. The sheer strength of Lotor was quite a match for Keith. Even if he tried his hardest, he probably wouldn't be able to get out of his hold unless Lotor wanted him to.

"I'm sure you can think of something, Acxa." Lotor said before letting the door shut, behind him.

Keith looked towards the door and then up at Lotor, who still had his arm around him. He wanted nothing more than to rip it right out of its socket.

"Uh, that seemed pretty important. Are you sure I'm not distracting you?" Keith asked. 

"Not at all." Lotor said, waving a hand flippantly. "The Dean can wait. We have much more important matters to attend to."

"...Like what?" Keith asked, slowly. Lotor didn't reply. They eventually made it outside, the sky now dark. Their faces were illuminated by the streetlamps placed along all the paths on the campus grounds. The harsh lighting that was mapped across Lotor's face made Keith notice how high and prominent his cheekbones were and how sharp his jawline was. He pondered how much his knuckles would hurt if he punched his face. Lotor noticed Keith staring and chuckled.

"Like what you see?"

Keith's eyes widened and he quickly looked away. He inwardly cursed for looking at him for so long before realising that he's meant to be acting that way. Ignoring the question, Keith shifted in Lotor's clutches.

"Where are we going anyway?"

Lotor pointed to a concrete stone placed on neatly manicured grass. On the stone was a sign that read  _Western Apartments_.

"Back to mine."

Keith blinked rapidly. He ignored any part of his brain telling him that he didn't consent to going to his dorm and instead focused on  _where_ it was. "You're staying in  _these_ dorms? How is that even possible? They're ridiculously expensive for a student and they're so much better than the housing on the other side of the campus!"

Lotor hummed as he finally let go of Keith, getting a set of keys out of his pocket. "I suppose I'm quite lucky, then." 

They made it to his door and Lotor opened it with a swift turn of his key.

"Come on in, make yourself comfortable." 

Keith looked around what seemed to be a complete open plan studio apartment. The living room took up most of the space as a few sofas were placed around the border, a large glass table right in the middle. The high ceiling had low hanging contemporary lights and green ferns, succulents and other house plants were hung across the walls, positioned on top of windowsills and sat next to doors. Lotor turned off the bright ceiling light and put on spotlights that dimmed the room enough to create an atmosphere. He looked over to Keith who was still stood in the doorway.

"There are plenty of seats to choose from, you know." He chuckled. "Want a drink?" Keith stopped gaping and closed the door behind him, taking off his shoes. 

"No, thanks."

He thought this was too good to be true. They barely spoke for ten minutes and Keith was already back at his place. He was so eager to just call him out already, but he had to be patient. Playing the long game would just make the end result that much more humiliating for Lotor.

"I hope you like dogs." Lotor called from the kitchen. Keith looked confused. He walked past the living room, around the bar and into the kitchen with Lotor, who was filling up a dog bowl with water. Just as Keith made his presence known, a large, dark brown Alsatian whipped its head round to greet the newcomer. It quickly got up from where it sat at Lotor's feet and bounded towards Keith.

"Nova, _no_!" Lotor said, firmly. Nova stopped abruptly and looked back at Lotor, ears back. "Don't be rude. Sit down." 

Nova huffed. Lotor frowned and crossed his arms. " _Sit._ " Nova whined and sat heavily on the floor. 

"Sorry about that. She's just excited because she hasn't seen you before."

Keith knelt down in front of Nova and pet her, happily. "It's alright. I love dogs."

"Oh, yeah?" He reached into a cupboard and pulled out a packet of dog treats. "Want to give her one?"

Keith's eyes lit up and he nodded. Lotor passed the bag to Keith. "I know it's tempting to give her more but she's only allowed one per couple of tricks."

Keith gasped and looked at Nova happily wagging her tail, sniffing at the bag Keith held in front of her. "She can do tricks?"

Lotor smiled moving towards Nova. "Mm-hm. Nova, high five!" He lifted his hand up and Nova immediately raised her paw, patting it on Lotor's palm. "Good girl! You can give her a treat now." Keith pulled a small biscuit out of the packet and brought it near Nova, who gratefully ate it.

"Roll over, Nova. Roll over!" Lotor said. Nova rolled onto her back, kicking her legs out. " _All the way_." Nova refused. "You don't want to? Is it because you want your belly rubbed?" Lotor bent down and rubbed Nova's stomach, causing her to shuffle around on her back.

"That was so cute." Keith said, kneeling next to Lotor, stroking Nova's head. Lotor smiled down at her. 

"Don't let that face fool you. She can be a serious trouble-maker sometimes." 

"I wonder where she gets it from." Keith said. Lotor just laughed, standing up. 

"Anyway, onto business." 

Keith stood up too, walking back to the living room. "What do you mean?" 

Lotor walked up to one of his many tall bookshelves. His finger traced along the rows and rows of books until he stopped at a few, pulling them out and handing them over to Keith. They were books relating to the multiverse theory, one of them being  _A Brief History of Time_ by Stephen Hawking. Keith blinked down at the books in his hands.

"Are you lending these to me? You really don't have to, I could just get these in the library and--"

"I'm giving them to you." Lotor said, cutting him off. "Besides, I already checked. Our library doesn't have them." He curled up onto the grey sofa, patting the space next to him. Nova ran out from the kitchen and jumped up next to Lotor, resting her head on his lap. 

"I guess you could always sit here instead." Lotor chuckled, patting the space on the other side of him. Keith silently walked over to the sofa and perched on the end of it. 

"Why are you giving me these? They're yours." Keith asked.

Lotor simply shrugged. "I've read them countless times. I figured you could use it for your assignment to get you started. Plus, it gives me space for more books." He stroked Nova's fur, contently. 

Keith felt torn. He hadn't physically met Lotor before, despite him being in a relationship with Lance. He's only just spoken to the guy and he's been nothing but nice to him. He willingly offered to help tutor him for free, let him play with his dog and has given him amazing source material that he honestly could've used when he  _actually_ wrote his assignment. He looked over at Lotor. He was occupied with massaging his fingers into Nova's thick fur, kissing the top of her head. Nova sat up and licked Lotor's face with abandon, making him laugh. Keith couldn't help but smile at the sight. He adjusted himself to sit properly on the sofa, leaning back, right next to Lotor. Keith opened one of the books and began reading. 

Some time passed and Keith had finished his twelfth chapter. He looked across to Lotor, who was on his laptop, working on something.

"Hey." Keith said.

Lotor stopped typing and looked over at Keith. "Yeah?"

"Thanks. For everything." 

"It's my pleasure, Keith. Anytime." Lotor smiled softly. 

Keith wasn't sure why but he couldn't bring himself to stop looking into Lotor's eyes. They were so bright and inviting and his smile was warm. Before he knew it, he started leaning in.

Lotor placed a hand on Keith's thigh, just above his knee, stopping him. "Hey...how about you stay here tonight? It's pretty late."

Keith glared down at the hand on his thigh before looking up at the large clock above him. He cursed when it showed him it was near 11:00pm. 

"I can't, I've really got to get back. I have a morning class to prepare for." He lied.

Lotor's grip on Keith got a lot tighter. "If you're worried about sleeping arrangements, I have another room you can stay in. Unless...you _want_ to be with me." He purred. 

Keith saw that he hadn't taken his eyes off his lips. His eyes quickly darted in the direction of the door, but something kept pulling him back in to look at Lotor.

_Maybe I am tired. Should I take him up on it? He's been so nice to me, it'd be rude not to. Nothing has to happen._  Keith thought. He hadn't replied for a while now, and he felt Lotor's hand slowly edging further up his thigh. Keith shook his head, both at Lotor and to rid himself of those fleeting thoughts. What the hell was he thinking?

"Thanks for the offer. Maybe another time." Keith said, trying to get up. Lotor's hold on him made it difficult.

"After everything I've done? That's a little ungrateful." Lotor's tone quickly changed. It got a lot darker and accusatory. Alarm bells were ringing in Keith's head to get out of there by any means necessary. But Keith was too stubborn, even to listen to the more rational thoughts inside his head. He had to challenge him.

"Are you... _seriously_ not letting me go home? That's pretty possessive, don't you think?"

Lotor's face wavered very slightly before regaining control. "Not at all. I just care for your...well-being." The grip Lotor had on Keith was getting extremely uncomfortable. Keith was sure he felt his nails through his jeans. He grit his teeth through the pain and kept his eyes locked with Lotor's.

"Maybe you were right before. Maybe you're  _not_ all I thought you were." 

Lotor blinked in surprise, his eyebrows furrowed. "W-what?"

Keith continued. "It's just a shame, really. I had so much respect for you, too. I guess it turns out you're just being abus--"

"No!" Lotor said, quickly removing his hand from Keith's thigh as if he was touching burning hot coal. "No, I'm not! I-I'm...I'm sorry. I just...I was worried. It's dark out and I just thought you'd be better off here for tonight."

Keith just looked at him. "Thanks, but I can take care of myself."

Lotor could barely meet Keith's eye, his hands clenched into fists. "...Of course you can. You're right. I'll...show you out."

They both stood and when Keith reached for his bag, Lotor picked it up first and handed it to him. Keith nodded his thanks and made his way to the door. Lotor gripped onto the door handle, making no move to turn it.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow? Maybe around lunch time? We can discuss a more specific topic for your assignment."

"Sounds good." Keith said. Lotor fidgeted with the handle. Keith glanced down and cleared his throat. "Did you want my number?"

Lotor looked at him in surprise. "Uh, sure!" He got his phone out from his back pocket and handed it to Keith, who typed in his number and added it to Lotor's contacts.

"There." Keith said, handing it back to him. "Tomorrow, then." Keith put his own hand over Lotor's and forced the door open. 

"Right. Get back safe." Lotor said before closing the door. 

Keith walked out of the gates of the Western Dorm and passed the uni. It was a quiet, twelve minute walk to get back to his dorm. As soon as he shut his door behind him, he dropped his bag and made a beeline straight to his room. Changing out of his clothes and into a shirt and boxers, he climbed into bed. His phone buzzed and he checked it for the first time in hours. After reading through all the messages in the group chat, he replied to let everyone know he was safe at home. Seeing Lance was still awake, he talked to him for a while before putting his phone on his nightstand. He laid down on his back, finally settling himself to go to sleep. 

Except he couldn't sleep.

He couldn't understand. It was all going so well at the beginning. Keith thought he had Lotor wrapped around his little finger. So, how? How did Keith get sucked in so quickly, so easily? He knows the kind of person Lotor is. And yet, he got himself into a situation where he was led to his place, not knowing what in God's name could've happened. Keith turned onto his side, running a hand across his thigh. He could still faintly feel the ghost of the pressure that Lotor put on him. If Keith wasn't so headstrong, he most likely would've stayed the night. He knows Lance can be headstrong too, so how was it he was still treated like shit? What was different? 

He remembered back to Lotor's surprise when he wanted to leave. Lotor tried to convince him to stay, that much was obvious. But when Keith was about to call him abusive, something changed. It looked as if Lotor vehemently denied the fact that what he was doing was wrong. He tried to defend it, blaming it on him being worried, but Keith knew that was bullshit. The moment Lotor was about to be faced with something he didn't want to accept as the truth, he became...intimidated. _By Keith_. He let Keith go without another thought. In fact, it was probably the first time anyone had spoken back to him like that.

Keith smiled to himself, clutching his slightly aching thigh.  _A small sacrifice, I guess_. He thought. Because the ball was in Keith's court now.

And it was only day one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nova, my baby, my love, light of my life, did you know your owner is a piece of shit


	5. The Group Chat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The latter goings-on in the group chat.

**Group Chat:**  Thot Squad

 

**7 participants:** **Lancelot - Admin (Lance), Keef (Keith K.), Daddy (Takashi Shirogane), Pidgeot (Pidge), Hunky Monkey (Hunk), Princess (Allura), Corannosaurus (Coran)**

(20:57)

**Princess** : It has been done. 

(20:59)

**Corannosaurus:** Nice one! What happened then?

(21:00)

**Daddy:**  How did it go?!

(21:03)

**Princess:** dunno lol I left him there

(21:03) 

**Daddy:** You what????

(21:04)

**Corannosaurus:** You left him alone with Lotor?

(21:04)

**Pidgeot:** oh boy

(21:04)

**Princess:** Nooo listen, listen. He told me some stuff about why he thought Lotor did what he did, it was crazy, he had a whole theory which tbh sounded very legit. I'm sure he'll catch you up with everything tomorrow. 

(21:07)

**Daddy:** I just tried to call him and I couldn't get through. Can anyone else try?

(21:07)

**Princess:** dw dw

(21:07)

**Princess:** I'm sure he's fineeee

(21:12)

**Princess:** oh fuck me

(21:12)

**Daddy:** _?????_

(21:13)

**Hunky Monkey:** Oh god what's happening

(21:13) 

**Princess:** Uhhhh so

(21:13)

**Princess:** I'm just walking back home andddd

(21:16)

**Daddy:** Allura!!

(21:16)

**Princess:** Deadass just saw Keith with Lotor's arm sNAKED around him

(21:16)

**Lancelot:** ...excuse me?

(21:16)

**Pidgeot:** well this can't get any worse can it

(21:17)

**Princess:** LANCE HE'S GOT HIS ARM AROUND YOUR MAN

(21:17)

**Princess:** if it's any consolation, Keith looks v v uncomfortable

(21:17)

**Lancelot:** That doesn't help at all actually. Just makes me more worried.

(21:17)

**Princess:** so you're not gonna deny he's your man

(21:17)

**Princess:** oh god, they're actually going back to Lotor's

(21:17)

**Pidgeot:** welp

(21:17)

**Daddy:** I'm going over there.

(21:18)

**Princess:** NO SHIRO

(21:18)

**Princess:** you'll ruin EVERYTHING 

(21:18)

**Princess:** he's a big boy, he'll be fine. I'm sure he'd let us know if anything happened

(21:18)

**Daddy:** Fine. But in the meantime, everyone please keep your phones near you, just in case, got it?

(21:18)

**Allura:** sure thaaang. home now btw

(21:20)

**Hunky Monkey:** You got it Shiro

(21:20)

**Corannosaurus:** I'll update if I hear anything!

(21:21)

**Pidgeot:** yes daddy

(21:21)

**Daddy:** Stop it, Pidge.

(21:21)

**Pidgeot:** sorry daddy

(21:22)

**Daddy:** Lance, you're admin, can you  _please_ change my nickname on here?

(21:42)

**Daddy:** Lance?

(21:53)

**Corannosaurus:** Anyone heard anything?

(21:54)

**Princess:** Nope :/

(21:54)

**Pidgeot:** negatory

(23:21)

**Keef:** Anyone awake?

(23:21)

**Keef:** Sorry about before, I didn't hear my phone

(23:25)

**Lancelot:** You made it back alive then

(23:25)

**Keef:** Yeah I guess. 

(23:25)

**Lancelot:** So

(23:25)

**Lancelot:** How was your master plan?

(23:25)

**Keef:** Still in effect.

(23:27)

**Keef:** I think it's something I should tell you all in person 

(23:28)

**Lancelot:** ...Are you okay?

(23:28)

**Keef:** Yeah. 

(23:28)

**Lancelot:** Are you sure?

(23:28)

**Keef:** What part of 'yeah' didn't you understand lol

(23:29)

**Lancelot:** Wow sorry. Night then

(23:29)

**Keef:** No, Lance wait

(23:29)

**Keef:** I'm sorry. I'm...not really doing okay.

(23:29)

**Lancelot:** Did he hurt you?

(23:30)

**Keef:** Not really, no. Can I just explain everything to you guys tomorrow? You can come over whenever.

(23:30)

**Lancelot:** Keith...you know you don't have to do this right?

(23:30)

**Keef:** Yeah, I know. I want to though.

(23:30) 

**Lancelot:** Alright. 

(23:31)

**Keef:** You need to get some rest now, okay?

(23:32)

**Lancelot:** Yeahhh you're right. I need my beauty sleep

(23:32)

**Keef:**  But you're already beautiful.

(23:32)

**Lancelot:** AWWWW KEITH  <3

(23:33)

**Keef:** Lmao goodnight, Lance.

(23:33)

**Pidgeot:** can you guys stop fucking each other and go the fuck to sleep

(23:33)

**Lancelot:** GOODNIGHT PIDGE.

(23:34)

**Lancelot:** Night Keith.

(23:34)

**Keef:** <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> my favourite hobby is reading other people's group chats


	6. Wake-Up Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance discovers something shocking.
> 
> The group try their best to support Keith.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: descriptions of bruising
> 
> shorter chapter this time! sorry;;  
> done in the very early hours of the morn so if any errors, i'd be ever grateful to you if you pointed them out! thank you for your patience <3
> 
> enjoy x

Keith woke up disoriented. A hard few knocks on the door drew him from his deep slumber. He groaned and rolled out of bed before feeling an uncomfortable throbbing on his thigh. He pressed the offending spot gently and winced at the pain. He lifted the leg of his basketball shorts to look at the damage. He paused, staring at it. His mind suddenly went back to the night before when he was with Lotor. Keith knew he was being gripped so hard to the point it hurt, but he didn't realise that it would cause... well,  _that_. The knocks on his door came again, snapping him out of his daze. He carefully walked out of his room and over to the door, thankful that his shorts covered his thigh.

Keith opened the door to Lance. 

His hand was held up in a fist, most likely about to knock for a third time. He awkwardly put it back down and avoided eye contact. 

"Sorry. Did I wake you?"

Keith blinked, still half asleep. He made an attempt to respond but his throat was still groggy, so he settled for shaking his head. He stepped aside, so Lance could walk in, while looking at the clock on his wall with a grimace. 8:13. Why. 

Lance caught him looking at the time.

"I did wake you, huh? I can come back later, if you want? I just...wanted to see how you were doing after... you know."

Keith looked at Lance, standing awkwardly in his living room, playing with his shirt sleeves. He recalled back to all the times he'd show up at Lance's or when Lance went to Shiro's and Keith just happened to be there too. Showing support and giving comforting words of advice to Lance, saying how much Lotor didn't deserve him. Now Lance was doing the same for Keith. Except Keith isn't actually _in_ a relationship. He was just faking this whole thing to manipulate Lotor. Seeing Lance still be affected just from hearing his  _name_ was enough for Keith to know that was he was doing was right. And that Lotor deserves what's coming to him.

Lance called Keith's name, bringing him back.

"Oh, uh." Keith cleared his throat. "No, no, it's alright. I might go have a shower though. You know, if you don't mind waiting."

"Sure thing, man. Take your time." 

Keith watched as he sat on the couch, scrolling through his phone. After a while, he turned and made his way to the bathroom, locking the door behind him. Keith gripped the sink and hesitantly looked into the mirror in front of him. He looked a wreck. His hair was sticking up at different angles, dark and heavy bags sat under his deep eyes and...

Keith gripped his rumbling stomach. He hadn't eaten since yesterday morning. He vowed that was the first thing on his to-do list after he showered.

Eventually, Keith emerged from room, fully dressed. He found Lance in his kitchen getting a drink. Lance smiled at Keith's arrival and gestured for him to sit down. He poured some orange juice into a glass and put it in front of Keith on the table.

"I figured you hadn't eaten anything, so..." Lance pulled a brown paper bag out of his backpack and put it on the table. "It's still hot."

Keith blinked and brought the bag closer to him, looking inside. There was an egg and grilled cheese sandwich. The smell made Keith's mouth instantly water.

"Lance... thank you. You really didn't have to do this." Keith pulled one of the halves out of the bag and started eating, gratefully. Upon further inspection, Keith saw a little card sat at the bottom.

"Don't worry about it, it's nothing. You'd do the same for me," Lance put his thumb to his lips in thought. "Actually, I think you have."

Keith nodded in confirmation. Lance was getting no more than two hours sleep, if that, per night one week a year or so ago when he was studying for a test. Words from his friends to get a sufficient amount of sleep weren't getting through to him in the slightest.

It got to the point where Keith and the others took it upon themselves to go on runs for food and drink because Lance wouldn't pull himself away from his desk or the library to do it himself. Some nights they gave him tea which they knew would ultimately make him fall asleep and take turns to take him home for the evening. The next morning, they'd be cursed to hell and back by a fatigued Lance for making him waste 'precious studying time'. They eventually got through the stress and Lance ended up passing his test. He spent the next few weeks profusely apologising for how he acted, despite everyone telling him it was okay. He even filled Shiro's apartment with 50 _'I'm sorry'_ balloons.

Keith chuckled at the memory, picking up the note.

"What's so funny...?" Lance trailed off, looking at the note Keith held in his hand, eyes widening.

Keith looked over to Lance. 

"What's this?"

Lance reached over to grab it from Keith. "Uh, nothing. It's stupid, just leave it."

Keith moved his hand away from Lance's grasp, his eyebrows raised in amusement. Lance's face deadpanned and he held his hand out.

"Keith, c'mon. Give it here. I was meant to throw it out while you were in the bathroom."

Keith's smile got wider, much to Lance's dismay. 

"So... this _is_ for me? Why else would you be so nervous about me seeing it?"

Lance rolled his eyes. "The world doesn't revolve around you, Kogane."

"No, but I can tell this note does." Keith said, unfolding it slowly and smiling menacingly.

"Keith, I'm serious!" Lance said, desperately. He leaned forward as Keith leaned backwards on his chair, away from Lance.

Keith unfolded the card enough that he was able to see a few words, despite being preoccupied with Lance trying to grab it.

" _Keith, I really hope you--_ " Keith read, mimicking Lance's voice.

As a last, desperate resort, Lance leapt forward and managed to snatch the note away from Keith... while simultaneously knocking Keith off his chair.

Keith groaned and rubbed the back of his head. Thanks to his tall kitchen stools without a backrest, he fell quite far. Luckily, he only really got a small ache at the back of his head that dulled quite quickly. Feeling a weight on top of him, he looked up at Lance's shocked face.

"Keith! I'm so  _so_ sorry! A-are you alright? Did you hit your head? Do you need anything?"

Keith could barely respond as all he could think about was that Lance was sitting on him. He wasn't making any move to get off of him either. If Keith just shifted a certain way, he'd...

"Keith?" Lance said worriedly. 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good. You?"

Lance nodded. "I'm fine. You kind of... broke my fall." He laughed, nervously.

Despite the situation, Keith found himself laughing too. Lance smiled and leant forward to brush the hair out of Keith's eyes. Deep, shining pools of amethyst stared back at Lance, just _begging_ him to come closer. Lance blinked as if in understanding. They shared a couple of silent moments gazing into each other before Lance started to lean in even more. The weight of Lance pressing on Keith's thigh made him wince in pain, causing Lance to immediately get off Keith.

"What is it? You  _are_ hurt aren't you?" Lance looked down at Keith instinctively grab at his thigh. He saw slight discolouration peeking out from the bottom of Keith's shorts. 

"Fuck, did I do that? Let me see."

Keith hurriedly sat up and backed away, covering it up with his hands.

"N-no, no, it's fine. I'm okay, I swear."

Lance's face dropped. 

"It was him. Wasn't it?" Lance said, softly.

Keith shuffled across the floor and sat with his back against a wall, looking away.

"No."

Lance huffed in anger. "Don't lie to me, Keith. I can tell. All of this," he said, gesturing to Keith. "Was me not too long ago. I'm your friend, Keith. Let me help you. Like you helped me."

Keith bit at his bottom lip in frustration before nodding. Lance sat next to Keith and after an unspoken glance of consent from Keith, he gently lifted the hem of his shorts.

"Oh my God."

Lance immediately got up to get ice from Keith's freezer. He came back and placed it on his thigh, telling Keith not to move while he grabbed his phone from his pocket.

Half an hour passed and everyone had convened around Keith in his living room.

Blotchy patches of dark red and purple pigmented his skin. Keith was slightly surprised to see it had spread a little further up his thigh. It was... really ugly. Lance ran his hands down his face, and heaved a sigh. Everyone looked around at each other, trying to work out what to do. Keith was sat on his sofa, his bad leg resting on a pillow, towel wrapped ice on his bruise.

"Um," Pidge said, raising her hand. "So... is no one gonna ask how the fuck this ended up happening or am I good to go first?"

Shiro made a tentative face and looked at Keith who was avoiding eye contact with everyone. "I think we all have a pretty strong idea on how this happened."

Pidge rolled her eyes. "Well, duh. It was Lotor. But what I want to know is how Keith managed to just _let_ that happen."

"Pidge!" Coran hissed. "A little harsh there, don't you think?"

"I didn't _let_  anything happen." Keith sighed, pinching his nose bridge.

Pidge raised her arms in the air in victory. "Finally! He speaks. Now tell us what the deal is so we can go beat him up  _ourselves._ "

Keith sighed again and gently ran his fingertips across his thigh. Everyone looked at him, waiting for him to talk.

"Lotor... has a persona he shows people. All the time. It's irritating and it's fake as shit. Last night showed me that he's actually able to take that mask off and be... himself? He was a completely different person when I played with his dog and when he gave me those science books. But then as soon as I pretended to show any kind of interest in him again, the mask came back."

Allura piped up. "So what? Are we just meant to forgive what he did to you and Lance because he doesn't act like a dick 24/7?"

Keith shook his head. "No, I'm just saying there's something more there, I can see it. And once he gets comfortable enough to tell me, he's gonna know how it feels to be emotionally betrayed. And beaten." He added.

Everyone's mouths dropped open. Lance looked a mix between shocked and confused.

"So you  _are_ going to beat him up?!" Hunk cried.

"I'm definitely contemplating it now. After... this." Keith said, looking at the pack as the melting ice trickled water down his thigh.

"So what do you  _call_...  _this?"_ Pidge asked.

Keith scoffed. "A moment of vulnerability. It  _won't_ happen again."

"Goodness. And... you're really sure about this?" Coran asked.

"He's not worth it, Keith. I don't want you getting in more fights." Shiro said, a disappointed look on his face. 

"I'm sure." Keith said, ignoring Shiro. "He'll be putty in my hands before he even realises. And when he does, he'll already be too busy tasting my fucking fist." 

Pidge laughed and clapped excitedly. "I like _this_ Keith!"

"You like any kind of drama you aren't involved in." Hunk mumbled.

"Yeah, and what's your point?" Pidge said.

Lance looked at Keith, sadly. "Keith, I just--"

Keith's phone pinged, cutting Lance off. He picked it up, unlocking it. It was Lotor.

"Ha, see? It's him. He wants to meet up in the library. Wants to go over some theory I probably already know." He tossed the ice pack to the side and shoved his phone back into his pocket.

"Well, aren't you going to reply?" Allura asked.

"Putty, Allura. Putty." Keith smiled, getting up and walking to his room.

"Wait, where do you think you're going?" Shiro asked.

Keith came out of his room, his shoes on and throwing a bag around his shoulder. "Where do you think?"

"Uh,  _hello?_ Your _leg?!"_ Allura said, bewildered.

"Needs must. Gotta go." Keith closed the door behind him.

The room fell silent for several moments.

"Is it just me or is Keith really fucking stupid?" Pidge said, throwing herself onto the sofa where Keith was sat minutes ago.

"You were _just_ commending him on how violent he was acting." Hunk stated.

"I'm entitled to change my mind, aren't I?" Pidge said, resting her arms behind her head.

"Hunk's right though." Coran mentioned. "Keith's behaviour regarding Lotor is rather violent. Are we really going to let him go through with this?"

Lance clenched his fists. "Of course not. You guys remember how I was during exam season last year?"

"Can't forget it." Shiro said, tiredly. "It honestly felt like I lost a year of my life."

"And yet you all never gave up on me. Even with how I was acting. We can't give up on Keith. He knows how he's acting. He just... can't see it yet. But we can help him to." Lance said.

Shiro sighed. "I really hope you're right, Lance." 

They all hoped.


	7. Author's Note

AH YES hello it's been a LONG ASS time wow

 

just to let the readers who have been following this story know, I'm so sorry for not updating this in so long! i have seen all your comments, bookmarks and kudos and it makes my lil heart do a hecking big doki doki!!!!! 

 

i _**WILL**_ be finishing this fic! 

 

i hope there are people out there who understand/relate: i started off with this idea and the idea to make it a multichapter fic at the ass crack of the night months ago. lol i did NOT think about how much time and effort goes into a multichapter fic so kudos to those who are able to pull it off! 

i have been very busy with work and my mental state has been on a rollercoaster for a long time which has hindered me from writing. 

 

i love EACH OF U even the silent readers! every one of you supporting me & this story i'm giving the biggest internet hug bc you guys keep me motivated!!! 

 

and tbh this has taught me a lesson: if i'm ever gonna do another multichapter fic WRITE IT TO COMPLETION BEFORE UPLOADING ANY OF IT LMAO SHIT MAN

 

see u all soon & thank u for reading xoxoxo


End file.
